Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 651

Without this N̄aṇa or N̄aṇa-dassana (insight or intuition), no detachment, no freedom would be possible to a Buddhist, nor would he ever be assured of his ultimate deliverance from the bondage of existence as well as of the attainment of the higher life (_brahmacarya_).

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1150

He reasoned, “What is the use of studying Buddhism, so difficult to comprehend and too subtle to receive instructions from another? I shall be a plain homeless monk, troubled with no desire to master things too deep for thought.” He left Yisan and built a hut near the tomb of Chu (Hui-chung), the National Master, at Nan-yang.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 843

Thus edited,[f81][4.28] Dharma’s writing is now in a better style, that is, more concise, more to the point, and more refined. For this reason the following translation[4.29] is made from Tao-yüan’s _Records_ in which the author had every reason to reproduce the original as it stood.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 971

“So you are a southerner,” said the patriarch, “but the southerners have no Buddha-nature; how could you expect to attain Buddhahood?”

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1082

A little over one hundred years after the passing of the sixth patriarch, Liu Tsung-yüan, one of the most brilliant literati in the history of Chinese literature, wrote a memorial inscription on his tomb-stone when he was honoured by the Emperor Hsien-tsung with the posthumous title, Great Mirror (_tai-chien_),and in this we read[4.65]: “In a sixth transmission after Dharma there was Tai-chien. He was first engaged in menial labour and servile work.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 787

In this latter they were quite insistent; but they were not, nor could they be, so critical and independent as to ignore altogether the authority of historical Buddhism, and they wanted somehow to find the record that the Buddha handed Zen over to Mahākāśyapa and from Mahākāśyapa on to the twenty-eighth patriarch, Bodhi-Dharma, who became the first patriarch of Zen in China.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 796

Now if the six Buddhas of the past had their gāthās, why not those patriarchs between Śākyamuni and Bodhi-Dharma, all inclusively? Or, if any one of them had at all any kind of gāthā, why not the rest of them too?

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 806

“The mind moveth with the ten thousand things: Even when moving, it is serene. Perceive its essence as it moveth on, And neither joy nor sorrow there is.”[4.14]

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1553

When begging they go miles away. Commonly, attached to a Zendo there are some patrons whose houses the monks regularly visit and get a supply of rice or vegetables. We often see them along the country road pulling a cart loaded with pumpkins or potatoes. They work as hard as ordinary labourers. They sometimes go to the woods to gather kindlings or fuel. They know something of agriculture too.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1683

A string of a few nouns with no verbs or with no connectives is often sufficient to express a complex thought. Chinese literature is naturally full of trenchant epigrams and pregnant aphorisms. The words are unwieldy and disconnected: when they are put together, they are like so many pieces of rock with nothing cementing them to one another. They do not present themselves as organic. Each link in the chain has a separate independent existence.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 430

They resorted to miracles or supernatural phenomena for their illustration. Thus they made the Buddha a great magician; not only the Buddha but almost all the chief characters appearing in the Mahayana scriptures became magicians. And in my view this is one of the most charming features of the Mahayana texts—this description of supernatural phenomena in connection with the teaching of abstruse doctrine.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1156

But once the key is within one’s grasp, everything seems to be laid bare before him; the entire world assumes then a different aspect. By those who know, this inner change is recognised. The Dōken before he started on his mission and the Dōken after the realisation were apparently the same person; but as soon as Daiye saw him, he knew what had taken place in him even when he uttered not a word.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1728

This has been one of the most characteristic tenets of Zen ever since the coming-east of Bodhi-Dharma in the sixth century. “See into thy own nature and be a Buddha,” has thus grown the watchword of the Sect. And this “seeing” was not the outcome of much learning or speculation, nor was it due to the grace of the supreme Buddha conferred upon his ascetic followers; but it grew out of the special training of the mind prescribed by the Zen masters.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 2044

Nirvana, 37, 45, 101; in samsara, 13; not annihilation, 47; in enlightenment, 51; the anupādiśesha, 51, 63; conditioned by samsara, 79; in Sutta Nipata, 131f.; described as security, 147.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1831

7.9. 大燈國師. 遺誡曰. 汝等諸人來此山中. 爲道聚頭. 莫爲衣食. 有肩無不着. 有口無不食. 只須十二時中向無理會處. 究來究去. 光陰如箭. 謹莫雜用心. 看取. 看取. 老僧行脚後. 或寺門繁興. 佛閣經卷. 鏤金銀. 多衆閙熱. 或誦經諷呪. 長坐不臥. 一食卯齋. 六時行道. 直饒雖恁麽去. 不以佛祖不傳妙道掛在胸間. 忽撥無因果. 眞風墜地. 皆是邪魔種族也. 老僧去世久矣. 不許稱兒孫. 或儻有一人綿絕野外一把茅底. 折脚鐺內. 煮野菜根. 喫過日. 專一究明已事底. 與老僧日日相見報恩底人也. 誰敢輕忽. 勉㫋勉㫋.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1198

But when we know that it took Nangaku (Nan-yüeh) eight long years to answer the question, “Who is he that thus cometh towards me?” we shall realise the fact that there was in him a great deal of mental anguish and tribulation which he had to go through with before he could come to the final solution and declare, “Even when one asserts that it is a somewhat, one misses it altogether.”[5.29] We must try to look into the psychological aspect of satori, where is revealed the inner mechanism of opening the door to the eternal secrets of the human soul.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1950

In the present composition by the third patriarch of Zen, it has sometimes an intellectual connotation but at other times it can properly be done by “heart.” But as the predominant note of Zen Buddhism is more intellectual than anything else, though not in the sense of being logical or philosophical, I decided here to translate _hsin_ by “mind” rather than by “heart.”

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1701

Retorted the master: “He has just got the skin. Here in my place I do not allow even to talk of the marrow.”

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1114

This simple word, Zen, is beyond the comprehension both of the wise and the ignorant. To see directly into one’s original Nature, this is Zen. Even if you are well learned in hundreds of the Sutras and Śastras, you still remain an ignoramus in Buddhism when you have not yet seen into your original Nature. Buddhism is not there [in mere learning]. The highest truth is unfathomably deep, is not an object of talk or discussion, and even the canonical texts have no way to bring it within our reach.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 691

The teaching, “Kullūpamaṁ vo bhikkhave ājānantehi dhammā pi vo pahātabbā, pageva adhammā,” (Like unto a raft all dharmas indeed must be abandoned, much more un-dharmas!), is really the most fundamental keynote running through the whole course of the history of Buddhist dogmatics.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1640

As I stated before, Zen followers do not approve of Christians, even Christian mystics being too conscious of God who is the creator and supporter of all life and all being. Their attitude towards the Buddha and Zen is that of Lieh-tzŭ riding on the wind; a complete identification of the self with the object of thought is what is aimed at by the disciples of Jōshu, Ummon, and other leaders of Zen. This is the reason why they are all loath to hear the word Buddha or Zen mentioned in their discourse, not because indeed they are anti-Buddhist, but because they have so thoroughly assimilated Buddhism in their being. Listen to the gentle remonstrance given by Hōyen, of Gosozan, to his disciple Yengo:

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 779

The legendary story of the origin of Zen in India runs as follows: Śākyamuni was once engaged at the Mount of the Holy Vulture in preaching to a congregation of his disciples. He did not resort to any lengthy verbal discourse to explain his point, but simply lifted a bouquet of flowers before the assemblage, which was presented to him by one of his lay-disciples. Not a word came out of his mouth.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 555

His insight reached the bottom of his being and saw it really as it was, and the seeing was like the seeing of your own hand with your own eyes—there was no reflection, no inference, no judgment, no comparison, no moving either backward or forward step by step, the thing was seen and that was the end of it, there was nothing to talk about, nothing to argue, or to explain. The seeing was something complete in itself—it did not lead on to anything inside or outside, within or beyond.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1896

The Chinese translation of the _Sutra on the Cause and Effect in the Past and Present_, which seems to be a later version than the Pali _Mahāpadāna_, gives a somewhat different story, but as far as my point of argument is concerned, the main issue remains practically the same. Aśvaghosha’s _Buddhacarita_ is highly poetical. The _Lalita-vistara_ belongs to the Mahayana.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 800

Therefore at present the _Transmission of the Lamp_ is the earliest history of Zen where the twenty-eight patriarchs and their verses of law-transmission are recorded in detail.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 404

It is like mirage, deceived by which the animals make an erroneous judgment as to presence of water where there is really none; even so, all the doctrines in the Sutras are intended to satisfy the imagination of the masses, they do not reveal the truth which is the object of the noble understanding. Therefore O Mahāmati, conform yourself to the sense, and do not be engrossed in words and doctrines.”[f44]

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 2051

Ummon (Yün-men), on a good-for-nothing fellow, 10; on staff, 21; 261, 263f.; defines Zen, 102; sermons, 344; on Jōshu’s washing dishes, 224; on poverty, 335; on Zen, 260; his “Kwan!” 279; his laconism, 338.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1804

4.39. 僧璨問慧可曰. 弟子身纏風恙. 請和尙懺罪可曰將罪來. 與汝懺. 璨良久曰. 覓罪不可得. 可曰我與汝懺罪竟. 宜依佛法僧住. 曰今見和尙. 已知是僧. 未審何名佛法. 可曰. 是心是佛. 是心是法. 法佛無二. 僧寶亦然. 曰今日始知罪性不在內. 不在外. 不在中間. 如其心然. 佛法無二也. (傳燈錄卷三.)

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1348

Plotinus’ “flight from alone to alone” is a great mystical utterance proving how deeply he delved into the inner sanctuary of our consciousness. But there is still something speculative or metaphysical about it, and when it is put side by side with the Zen utterances to be cited below, it has, as the masters would say, a mystic flavour on the surface.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 499

All the literature we have of those early days of Chinese culture therefore is the model of such a cultivated style. The Zen masters were not necessarily despisers of classicism, they took to fine literature as much as their contemporaries, they were well-educated and learned too; but they found colloquialism a better and more powerful medium for the utterance of their inner experiences.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1647

Do you think you deserve the name of a monk, when you are still entertaining such a mistaken idea [of Zen]? I tell you, no Buddhas, no holy teachings, no discipling, no testifying! What do you seek in a neighbour’s house? O you, mole-eyed! You are putting another head over your own! What do you lack in yourselves? O you, followers of Truth, what you are making use of at this very moment, is none other than what makes a Patriarch or a Buddha. But you do not believe me, and seek it outwardly.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 958

Though I cannot quite agree with this view for the reason already referred to elsewhere, we can consider the fifth patriarch the beginning of a turning in the history of Zen, which opened up to a full view under the sixth patriarch, Hui-nêng. Until now, the Zen followers had kept quiet, though working steadily, without arresting public attention; the masters had retired either into the mountains or in the hurly-burly of the world where nobody could tell anything about their doings.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 264

“Through birth and rebirth’s endless round, Seeking in vain, I hastened on, To find who framed this edifice, What misery!—birth incessantly!

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1631

This seems to be but a trivial talk about a bridge, but considered from the inner way of looking at such cases, there is a great deal of truth touching the centre of one’s spiritual life. We may inquire what kind of bridge is represented here. Was Jōshu speaking only of a stone-bridge in his monastery premises, which was strong enough for all kinds of passengers over it?

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 621

This dialogue between the Buddha and Mahāli well illustrates the relation between Enlightenment and the problem of the soul. There is no need of wondering why the Buddha did not definitely solve the ever-recurring question instead of ignoring it in the manner as he did and talking about something apparently in no connection with the point at issue. This is one of the instances by which we must try to see into the meaning of Ignorance.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 495

When we read Zen literature without being told of its relation to Buddhism, we may almost fail to recognise in it such things as are generally regarded as specifically Buddhist.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1147

Kyōgen (Hsian-yen) was a disciple of Hyakujo. After the master’s death he went to Yisan (Wei-shan, 771–853) who was a senior disciple of Hyakujo. Yisan asked him,[5.17] “I am told that you have been under my late master Hyakujo, and also that you have remarkable intelligence; but the understanding of Zen through this medium necessarily ends in intellectual and analytical comprehension, which is not of much use. Yet you may have had an insight into the truth of Zen. Let me have your view as to the reason of birth and death, that is, as to your own being before your parents gave birth to you.”

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1291

To cite another instance before going further into the subject proper. The same old Jōshu was asked another time, “One light divides itself into hundreds of thousands of lights; may I ask where this one light originates?”[f126][6.5] This question like the last mentioned is one of the deepest and most baffling problems of philosophy. But the old master did not waste much time in answering the question, nor did he resort to any wordy discussion. He simply threw off one of his shoes without a remark. What did he mean by it? To understand all this, it is necessary that we should acquire a “third eye” as they say, and learn to look at things from a new point of view.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 234

Traditionally Zen is considered to have been transmitted by the Buddha to his foremost disciple, Mahākāśyapa, when the Buddha held out a bunch of flowers to his congregation, the meaning of which was at once grasped by Mahākāśyapa who quietly smiled at him. The historicity of this incident is justly criticised, but knowing the value of Enlightenment we cannot ascribe the authority of Zen just to such an episode as this.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1046

You may explain the philosophy of Śūnyatā for ten thousand years, but so long as you have not yet seen into your Nature, it is absolutely of no avail. There are again some people who regard Zen as consisting in sitting quietly with an empty mind devoid of thoughts and feelings. Such know not what Prajñā is, what Mind is. It fills the universe and never rests from work. It is free, creative, and at the same time it knows itself. It knows all in one and one in all.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1092

I want to emphasise this most fundamental fact concerning the very life of Zen; for there are some even among the students of Zen themselves who are blind to this central fact and are apt to think when Zen has been explained away logically or psychologically or as one of the Buddhist philosophies which can be summed up by using highly technical and conceptual Buddhist phrases, Zen is exhausted and there remains nothing in it that makes it what it is.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 784

In _The Records of the Transmission of the Lamp_,[4.4] written in 1004, which is the earliest Zen history now extant, the author does not record any particular event in the life of the Buddha regarding the Zen transmission. As all the earlier histories of Zen are lost, we have at present no means to ascertain how early the Zen tradition started in China. Probably it began to be talked about among the Zen followers when their religion had been well established in China late in the eighth century.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 2030

Causation, the twelvefold chain of, 37, 55, 57, 108, 117, 126, 153, 154; see also under Origination.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 831

This was written by a Zen monk after Zen had received full recognition as a special branch of Buddhism, and contains sayings and doings of its masters. The author often refers to some earlier Zen histories as his authorities which are however lost now being known by the titles only.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1878

[f33] According to Aśvaghosha’s _Awakening of Faith_, Ignorance means the sudden awakening of a thought (_citta_) in consciousness. This may be variously interpreted, but as long as Ignorance is conceived, not as a process requiring a certain duration of time, but an event instantaneously taking place, its disappearance which is enlightenment must also be an instantaneous happening.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 1314

When the ownership of a kitten was disputed between two parties of monks, the Master Nansen (Nan-ch‘üan P‘u-yüan, 749–835) came out, took hold of the animal, and said to them,[6.17] “If you can say a word, this will be saved: if not, it will be slain.” By “a word” of course he meant one that transcended both affirmation and negation, as when Jōshu was asked for “One word of the ultimate truth.” No one made a response, whereupon the master slew the poor creature.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 810

When Bodhi-Dharma gave his full sanction to his disciples, he is supposed to have composed the following gāthā:

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 304

According to him, then, propositions will be true, that is, living, because they are in accordance with his spiritual insight; and his actions will permit no external standard of judgment; as long as they are the inevitable overflow of his inner life, they are good, even holy.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 898

Next came in the nun, Tsung-ch‘ih, and said, “As I understand it, it is like Ānanda’s viewing the Buddha-land of Akshobhya: it is seen once and never again.”

Essays in Zen Buddhism, passage 97

We do not know how many students of Zen were made to sweat and cry in tears because of the inscrutability of this statement of Baso’s.